Interior space-dividing wall panels are extensively utilized in offices and the like to divide large areas into smaller working areas. Such panels conventionally have an interior framework provided with either hard or soft coverings on opposite sides thereof, with the panel conventionally having trim rails releasably attached to the opposite vertical edges, and a top cap releasably attached to the upper edge. The top cap has generally been secured to the top rail of the interior framework by various types of spring clips.
For example, in one known panel, the top rail of the panel frame has been provided with several spring-type retainers secured thereto at longitudinally spaced intervals. These retainers are fixed to the top rail and extended thereacross so as to permit the top rail to be releasably but securely mounted on the top of the panel. With this arrangement, however, the retainers remained secured to the top rail and extended thereacross, and hence are undesirable in those situations where it is desirable to utilize the top rail as a hollow channel for accommodating communication or power cables since such retainers interfere with the laying-in of cables in the top cap.
Other known panels have attempted to use a top cap wherein the retainer is mounted directly to the top rail. These known structures, however, have generally required that the retainers be fixedly secured to the top cap, such as by welding or other suitable means, and have increased the cost of manufacturing the system. Further, most of these retainers have utilized some type of one-way retaining structure, such as a Christmas tree type spring retainer, and hence such retainers are not readily releasable or reusable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved retainer for securing a top cap to an interior space-dividing wall panel, which retainer overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with the prior known structures.
More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved spring-type retainer adapted for releasably attaching a top cap to a wall panel, which retainer is detachable both from the top cap and the panel to facilitate the manufacture, shipping and installation of the overall arrangement. At the same time, this improved retainer cooperates with the top cap and the panel top rail in a manner so as to function on a dual-rate spring principle so that, during removal of the top cap from the panel, the retainer remains securely attached to the top cap so as to be removable therewith, thereby providing free access into the top rail of the panel throughout the complete longitudinal length thereof.
In the improved arrangement of this invention, the retainer is formed generally in one piece and includes upwardly cantilevered spring legs which hook into opposed channels formed on the underside of the top cap to secure the retainer to the top cap. These sidewardly-opposed spring legs are joined together by a generally inverted V-shaped spring which bridges between the sidewardly-opposed spring legs but is normally disposed downwardly out of engagement with the top cap. The retainer also has downwardly cantilevered spring legs which have sidewardly projecting flanges adjacent the lower end thereof having both upper and lower camming surfaces thereon. These flanges are adapted to resiliently move into a position below the top flanges associated with the panel top rail to downwardly secure both the retainer and the top cap against the panel. When removal of the top cap is desired, the upper and lower spring legs are initially resiliently deflected inwardly about the points of engagement between the upper legs and the top cap due to the camming effect of the lower flanges against the top rail flanges. This in turn causes the V-shaped spring bridge to deflect upwardly until the apex abuts the under surface of the top cap. This effectively locks the upper spring legs into engagement with the top cap. The lower legs thereafter resiliently deflect inwardly about new fulcrum points disposed substantially at the junctions of the legs with the V-shaped bridge, whereby the lower legs then have a higher spring rate and, in response to upper lifting of the top cap, deflect inwardly to release the retainer and the top cap from securement to the top rail. Once removed from the panel, the lower legs of the retainer can be easily resiliently deformed outwardly away from one another to cause the upper legs to be deflected inwardly toward one another to release the retainer from the top cap.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structure of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.